Australian Daniel Ricciardo has wrapped up third spot in the Formula One world championship after a drama-filled finish to the Mexican Grand Prix, which saw two drivers penalised.
Ricciardo crossed the line in fifth, but was initially elevated to fourth when his Red Bull teammate Verstappen copped a five-second penalty for holding his spot ahead of Vettel after going off track on the fourth last lap.
Vettel assumed the youngster’s spot on the podium, only to later cop a 10-second penalty for under-braking in an incident involving Ricciardo – pushing him back to fifth and the Australian to third.
Ricciardo was adamant after the race the Ferrari driver should also have been penalised over the matter in the second-last lap.
“He (Vettel) is smiling now,” he said.
“He doesn’t deserve to be up there (on the podium).
“I thought I had every right to be there but he kept closing the door under-braking. I was frustrated with that.”
Vettel was livid at the end of the race, pulling up alongside Verstappen after delivering a foul-mouthed spray over the the team radio about the 19-year-old.
“He (Verstappen) is a ****,” Vettel yelled over the team radio.
“Am I the only one, or are you not seeing what I’m seeing? He’s just backing me off into (Daniel) Ricciardo.
“Move, move for f***’s sake. He cut the chicane. He has to give me the position. End of the story.”
The German then lashed out at veteran race director Charlie Whiting over the incident, again via his team radio after he was told the incident would be reviewed after the race.
“Here’s a message to Charlie: f*** off. Honestly, f*** off.”
The late penalty is unlikely to go down well with Vettel, who also claimed through the team radio the only reason he was in a battle with Ricciardo was due to Verstappen holding his position.
“He is just blocking me to Ricciardo … He is just backing me off” he said.
Ricciardo also compared Verstappen’s behaviour to that of Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg earlier in the race, who finished first and second respectively.
Hamilton drove wide of the track at one point, while Rosberg also left the track following a nudge.
“I also didn’t understand the start, how you can be leading the race, defend, go off the track and not get a penalty?” Ricciardo asked.
“What was different with Max Verstappen’s move and Lewis’? It was a mistake and you have to pay the price.”
Ricciardo’s third-place finish opens up an unassailable 55-point lead over Vettel in third place for the championship, his second time in the top three in the past three years.
The result also made this season the most prolific points-wise in the 27-year-old’s Formula One career, taking him to 242 – four more than he scored in his breakthrough 2014 season.
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